Gravity-railway



(No Model.)

0. H. ALGOKR GRAVITY RAILWAY.

Attorney wltnesses vimwm 670.

. UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

CHARLES H. ALOOKE, OF HAMILTON, OHIO.

GRAVITY-RAI LWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.31'7,273, dated May 5, 1885.

Application filed January 8, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. ALcoKn, of Hamilton, Butler county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gravity-Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of gravity-railways designed for amusement pur poses-pleasure-cars going down a steep grade and returning to near the starting-point by an ascending return-grade.

My improvements will be understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a track, illustrating my improvement; Figs. 2, 3, and 4, plans of the highest portions of the track, illustrating various means for transferring the car from the final end to the initial end of the track; and

Fig. 5 a transverse vertical section of the track, as at line a, showing car in position.

In the drawings, A represents a track having a total length of, say, five hundred and sixty-four feet; B, the initial end of the track and the highest point of its grade; 0, a point in the track at its lowest grade, and distant, say, three hundred and seventy-six feet from the point B, or two-thirds the entire length of the track; D, that portion of the track included between the points B and O, constructed with a uniform descending grade downward from B to G, the fall being, say, thirty-five feet; E, the terminal end of the track on a level with and in proximity to the initial end B, the track from the point C to the point E being straight and of a uniform upward grade; F, a platform for ticket-ofiices, waiting-rooms, 860., at the highest point of the track; G, stairs for reaching the same; H, a point between the terminal end and the initial end of the track; I, a point in the track about thirty feet distant from the terminal end of the track and about five and a half feet lower than the same; J, a turn-table for transferring the cars from the terminal end of the track to the initial end; K, a switch adapted for the same purpose, the terminal end of the track being slightly curved in approaching the same; L, an exceedingly short curve adapted for making the transfer; M, the straight portion of the track between (No model.)

the points Oand I; N, that portion of the track between E and I; O, a bulwark, banister, or curbing upon either side of the track; P, the track-rails, laid near to the outer bulwark, the outer rail of course being properly elevated; Q, a car fitted to run upon the track; B, one or more wheels journaled in the back of the car, the axis or axes being vertical; S, a rail secured against the inner face of the outer bulwark and engaged by the wheel or wheels R;

and T the trestle-work by which the track structure, &c., is supported.

The car may be provided with safety devicessuch as stop drags, 8:0. --particular mention of which I omit, as the novelty of my present invention is not concerned with them.

The rear wheels, B, of the car are in position to make gentle contact with the bulwarkrail, whereby the motion of the car is nicely steadied and outward overturning prevented.

In operation the car, with its passengers, is started from the point B and runs, in the direction indicated by the arrows, down the grade till it reaches the point 0, when its m0- menturn carries it up the grade M to the point I, which is but a few feet lower than the terminal end of the track. The car is now pulled or otherwise moved up to the point E. The car is then transferred to the initial end of the track, ready for another trip, the transfer being effected across the gap H in any convenient manner, as by the turn-table J switch K, or curved track L. After the car reaches the foot of the grade at the point 0 its ascent is upon a straight track, and it thus avoids the resistance due to the curve, and is enabled to reach a point very much nearer the point of highest grade than it could otherwise do. In fact, I am able in practice to ascend by momentum about six-sevenths of the entire grade, while with any other system of construction of which I am aware in which curves are involved in the upward grade but little more than half of 'the ascent can be accomplished by momentum. By my plan of construction I am able to have an exceedingly steep downgrade without involving the necessity for working the cars up very much of the ascent.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a gravity-railway, a track inclined ed in a straight line from its point of lowest grade to a terminal point in proximity to the initial point, and a transfer-track by which the cars can be transferred from the terminal point of the track to the initial point.

CHARLES H. ALCOKE.

Vitnesses:

- J. WV. SEE,

W. A. SEWARD. 

